Electric-lighting device.



PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

No. '769,739v

0. GERGACSEVICS. ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30,1903.

N0 MODEL.

Inventor wen/c4 Witnesses.

UNITED STATES Patented September 13, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,739, dated September 13, 1904.

Application filed November 30, 1903. Serial No. 183,283. (No model.) y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO GERGACsEvIcs, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, Province of Lower Austria, Austria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Lighting Devices, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to an electric arrangement for lighting' gas-lamps from a distance, by means of which arrangement the gasjets can be lighted or shut off not only separately, but also in suitable entire groups simultaneously. The lighting is effected by the opening-sparks of a circuit formed lthrough the gas-pipe itself on one side and a return on the other side, passing through the sparking devices and the electromagnets of the jet or jets, which circuit is closed by means of an ordinary key for the purpose of lighting or extinguishing the jets, the gas-taps being opened or closed simultaneously.

A device for lighting gas-jets at a distance according to the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, including also an enlarged detail of the sparking' points and upper end of the pilot-burner; Fig. 2, a sectional detail of the multiple-way cock, including also the lower part of the pilottube and showing the cock therein; Fig. 3, an elevational detail of the parts shown in Fig. 2 with accessories; and Fig. 4, an elevation, detached, of the horseshoe-electromagnet.

The lighting mechanism is secured on the mouth of the gas-bracket by means of a tubular valve-chamber 1, for which object the latter is threaded at its lower end to take over the nipple of said bracket. On the valvechamber a support or bottom plate 2 is iitted, which carries a support 3 for an armature 4 oi' a horseshoe-magnet comprising a cross-bar 5 and a pair of solenoids 6 and 7, suspended from the Lipper plate of the casing. A setscrew 8 is also screwed into the bed-plate 2, by means of which screw the distance of the drop oi' the armature 4 is limited. A four-way cock 9 is inserted approximately in the center in a part of the tubular socket 1, which part tapers between the two plates 2 and 5, the conical plug 10 of which cock may be automatically adjusted by means of a spring 11, acting' on the broad end. A ratchet wheel 12, provided with eight teeth, is mounted on the projecting thinner end of the plug 10.

A thin pipe 13 for the igniting or pilot ame branches off at the level oi' the axis of the cock 9. In this pipe 13 a single-way cock 14 is inserted, which is automatically adjusted in the same manner as the Jfour-way cock 9, by means of a spring, and carries at its thinner end a crank-arm 15. The pipe 13 is bent at a right angle upward and passes through the cover-plate 5 and ends above the mouth ofthe burner screwed upon the upper threaded end 16 of the valve-chamber 1.

In immediate proximity to the pipe 13 a small metal pipe 17 is screwed or otherwise secured in the cover-plate 5, inside which pipe a contact-pin 18, insulated from the pipe 17, is displaceably arranged and constantly pressed upward by means of an adjustable spring 19, bearing against its lower end. The pipe 17 is beveled at its upper end, and the end of the insulating-casing 2O projects above this beveling and is provided with a lateral slot 21, in which the hook-shaped, down\var :llybent upper end 22 of the pin 18 plays. Directly beneath this slot 21 on the outside of the pipe 17, a hook shaped, upwardly bent contactpiece 23 is iixed. By the action or' the adjustable spring 19 the two hooked parts 22 and 23 in their position of repose are pressed against one another as to their flattened contact-surfaces, and a thorough contact is established.

A binding-screw or terminal 24 is fixed on the cover-plate 5, but is insulated therefrom, with which terminal the wire belonging to the jet is connected. One end of the coil-wire of the electromagnets is connected to the terminal 24 and the other end to the spring 19, so that when the circuit is closed the current from one side passes through the valve-chamber into the casing, from thence to the pipe 17 through the contacts 22 and 23 into the contact-pin 18, through the spring 19 into the coils or' the electromagnets, and from thence finally through the terminal 24 into the returnwire and back to the source of current.

Now in order to produce the opening-spark IOO between the two contacts 22 and 23, which are situated directly over the opening in the pipe 13, which spark is necessary for igniting the pilot-flame, a spring pawl 25 is pivotally mounted on the armature 4, which pawl"'en gages with the ratchet-wheel 12 of the fourway cock 10. The end of the crank-arm 15 on the cock 14 of the. branch pipe 13 engages in a rocking slide or slot 26 on the armature 4. Beneath the lower end of the contact-'pin 18 a set-screw 28 is inserted in the armature 4, the upper end of which screw is coated with a layer of insulating material, and its lower end, in a position of repose, rests on the setscrew 8 in the bottom plate 2. A suitable key 29 is inserted in the line, by the operation of which key the normally open circuit is closed. When this has taken place, the pair of solenoids are excited and attract the armature 4, the ratchet 12 is moved forward one tooth by means of the pawl 25, and the cock 10 opened, while simultaneously, by means of the rocking slide 26, the cock 14 is opened by the crank 15, so that thus the gas can escape through the burner and also through the small pipe 13. Now, however, the insulated part 27 of the set-screw encounters the lower end of the contact-pin 18 and raises the same a little, thus separating the contacts 22 and 23, and an opening-spark results between these contacts. At the same moment, by reason of the breaking of the circuit, the solenoids become non-magnetic or non-inductive, and the armature tends to drop by reason of its own weight, so that the contact-pin 18 is again drawn downward by the spring 19, the circuit is again closed, and thus the armature 4 is again attracted. This continues in rapid succession so long as the circuit remains closed-that is, so long as the circuit-closing key is depressedwithout operating the four-way cock again or cutting off the gas, since the closing of the circuit at the sparking-point is effected before the armature 'can fall to its normal position, and it is reattracted at once without drawing the pawl back behind another tooth of the valve-ratchet. The plug-valve in the pilot-flame pipe is also unaffected, owing to its slotted connection with the armature. When the lighting has been effected, the circuit-closing key is released, the circuit is broken, and all the parts return to their normal position, and the illuminating-ame burns on, while the pilot or igniting flame is extinguished by the cock 14 being turned back. When the burner-ame is to be extinguished, the ratchetwheel is moved forward by the pawl 25 to the extent of one tooth by another closing of the circuit, so that the cock 10 makes one-eighth of a revolution and is closed, and the cock 14 is in turn closed on the subsequent breaking of the circuit, which takes place after the burner-flame has been extinguished. The set-screws 8 and 28 must be so adjusted that the armature 4 when the circuit is closed only vibrates suciently to allow the contacts 22 and 23 when the armature is attracted by the electromagnets to be separated a little from one another. In order to render the residuary magnetism non-deleterious, the poles of the magnets or the surface of the armature may be coated with a damping layer.

I declare that what I claim is- 1. In an electric apparatus for igniting gasjets the combination of a burner-pipe, a pilotflame pipe, means for causing a simultaneous current of gas through both pipes, normally closed electric contacts near the outlet of said pilot-flame pipe, means for causing a rapid make-and-break action of said contacts without cutting off the gas, whereby a succession of sparks may be produced, and means whereby upon the ignition of the pilot and burner Haines the current in the pilot-llame pipe is automatically cut off.

2. In an electric gas-lighter of the nature described, the combination of a burner-pipe, a pilot-flame pipe, normally closed igniting-contacts near the outlet of the pilot-flame pipe, an electromagnet, an armature operated by said magnet, means whereby said armature, when so operated, simultaneously turns on the gas in both pipes and opens the contact, means whereby upon the ignition of the flames the retraction of the armature automatically turns off the gas in the pilot-ame pipe, and means whereby upon a subsequent and remote attraction said armature turns off the gas in the burner-pipe.

3. In an electric gas-lighter of the nature described, the combination of a burner-pipe, a pilot-flame pipe, normally closed ignitingcontacts near the outlet of the pilot-flame pipe, an electromagnet, an armature operated by said magnet, means whereby said armature when attracted by the initial energization of the magnet simultaneously turns on the gas and opens the contacts, breaking the magnetcircuit, means whereby it may be instantly again attracted before its return to normal, to again open the contacts, and means whereby said armature at a subsequent and remote attraction automatically turns off the gas.

' 4. In an electric gas-lighter of the nature described, the combination of a burner-pipe, a pilot-flame pipe, a parallel electrical conducting pipe, a spring-retracted conductingrod playing in said pipe but insulated therefrom, normally closed contacts respectively at the top of the rod and the top of the pipe, an electromagnet embraced in a normally open circuit including said contacts and the gas-piping, an armature operated by said magnets when energized, means whereby the armature when attracted by a single energization of the magnet' turnson the gas and opens the contacts, and means whereby the armature when attracted by asubsequent and remote energization of the magnet turns off the gas and extinguishes the iiame.

IOO

IIS

5. In an electric gas-lighter of the nature described, the combination of a burner-pipe, a pilot-flame pipe, a parallel electrical conducting-pipe, a spring-retracted Conducting-rod playing in said pipe but insulated therefrom, normally closed contacts respectively at the upper end of the rod and the upper end of said pipe, an electromagnet embraced in a normally open circuit including said contacts and the gas-piping, an armature operated by said magnet when energized, means whereby the armature when initially attracted turns on the gas and opens the contacts, means whereby it may be made to repeatedly open the contacts without affecting the flow of gas, or itself returning to normal, and means whereby, when attracted after a return to normal it cuts olf thegas and extinguishes the iiame.

6. In an electric gas-lighter of the nature described, the combination of a burnerpipe, four-way cock therein, a pilot-flame pipe opened to connection with the burner-pipe by said cock when the latter opens the burnerpipe, and closed off thereby simultaneously with the closing of said pipe, a one-way cock in said pilot-flame pipe, a crank by which it is operated, an electrical conducting-pipe rising alongside the valve-flame pipe, a springretracted conducting-rod playing therein but insulated therefrom, normally closed contactpoints on the respective upper ends of said rod and pipe, an electromagnet, an armature operated thereby, means controlled by the armature to open the four-way cock and turn on the gas when attracted by the energization of the magnet, a slip connection between said armature and the crank whereby the one-way cock is opened in such movement, and an insulated striker on the armature which then comes in contact with the conducting-rod and hits it against the spring-retractor and opens the contacts.

7. An electric apparatus for igniting gas, comprising a burnerpipe,a multiple-way cock therein, an armature, a pawl on said armature, a ratchet-wheel engaged by said pawl and adapted to rotate said cock one-half the distance between its orilices at each impulse, a pilot-flame pipe opening to one of the ports in said cock when the burner-pipe is open to a transverse port, a cock in said pilot-fiame pipe, means controlled by said armature for operating said cock, an electric circuit one side of which is formed by the gaspiping, normally closed igniting-contacts in said circuit abutting over the outlet oi:l said pilot-flame pipe, an electromagnet also in said circuit and actuating the armature when engaged, and means controlled by said armature for opening said contacts immediately succeeding the automatic turning on of gas thereby.

In testimony whereof I alX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO GERGACSEVICS.

INitnesses:l

FRITZ FUCHS, ALvEsTo S. HoeUE. 

